Gold and Galena has been REPRINTED as of 1999 with an addendum section and can be purchased through mayo@yt.sympatico.ca or mayohistoricalsoc@yahoo.com. More than just a general history the book includes an amazing collection of photographs of the early town settlement and the associated gold and silver mining. It also has a section on "pioneer accounts" where individuals and their families tell their own stories in their own words. For anyone who had family members seeking their fortune in Canada's North or the general history buff the book is a MUST. Very well documented and researched, the book covers a period from the late 1800s through the 1960s.

For those interested in the history of the far northern town of Mayo, Yukon and its surrounds, including Elsa, and Keno, this 500 page book is a must. The book also contains many maps and photographs of the region. Mayo's origins followed the great Klondike gold rush and like the Klondike, gold was discovered and mined in the area. Silver however, was to be the driving force of the economy when large deposits of ore were found in the Keno area. Gold lost its lustre as the mainstay of the Yukon.s economy to be replaced by silver.

The history is rich in family histories, as many pages are devoted to the stories of the pioneer families of the region.

The book was the work of the Mayo Historical Society, taking eight years to research prior to its publication.

I am Public Relations Manager for GreaterGR.com, the Greater Grand Rapids area website. As such, I am often asked which publications about history and life in Grand Rapids are the best. "Greater Grand Rapids: A City that Works" tops my list! It is a unique look into life in Grand Rapids as Gerald R. Ford experienced it. You will find this book in the reception area of many businesses in the Greater Grand Rapids area, most likely because the pictures are exceptionally vivid, capturing the essence of city life. It is a great coffee table book and conversation piece!

Being new to the Grand Rapids area, this book is the most effective and efficient way to get a glimsp at the Grand Rapids business and private sector as well as a view of Grand Rapids through the eyes of Gerald Ford. This is a must buy for anyone who is looking at Grand Rapids for fun and fellowship.

If you are hiking the Central Adirondacks, this is the guidebook to have. The ADK guidebooks give you the information you need to determine if the hike is right for you without detailing everything you will see.

This book is another excellent one from the series published by the Adirondack Mountain Club. It borders Newcomb to the north and borders Route 8 on the south. It covers the beautiful areas of Indian Lake and Blue Mountain Lake. A must for Adirondack buffs.

The first edition of this book was written in 1993 and has been thoroughly updated since the 1995 microburst. With 84 hikes described in detail, Mr. O'Shea calculates distance and time, fascinating history of the areas and descriptions of the flora and possible animal sightings. Seasons of the year are also described according to what trails are reasonable in winter or summer as well as appropriate safety recommendations. Sights most hikers might missed are noted and most trails have simple accurate maps. The back envelope of this guide contains a very detailed topo map of the Cranberry Lake Region and the Upper Saranac Lake Region. This guide not only improves your trip but can save you great distress with the analysis of lesser traveled trails. The 1995 microburst destroyed many popular trails and one will have second thoughts about traveling these routes. However, there are so many fantastic places to visit, you'll have no trouble finding a hike to remember.

Let's face it, it's hard enough to get a book focusing strictly on the Northern Adirondacks. I went to school in Potsdam, New York and needed something to get me through the year. This book did it. Hikes are broken down even further into sections, such as Paul Smiths, Tupper Lake & Cranberry Lake. It includes distances, alternative routes, along the way, etc... all the typical stuff in a good hiking guide. It also includes a large topographical map of the region. One my favorite aspects of this book is that the author let's you know which trails are great for hiking in spring/summer/fall and if these same trails are recommended for cross-country skiing in the Fall. This book covers as far North as the boundaries of the Adirondack parks, as far West as Star Lake, as far South as Great Sacandaga Lake, and as far East as Lake Champlain. Enjoy, it's a great guide.

Michael Grant has assembled a valuable dictionary of the classical world. It is one that I often refer to first when I want to know not only the location of a site but some of its history as well

For example, there is a two-page article on Thessalonica. The city was founded c 316 BCE by one of the successors of Alexander the Great. Grant continues his history through the late 5th century CE and ends with a mention of a 1978 earthquake.

Grant's more than 700 page book includes a series of maps which are found at the beginning of the book. There is also a list of ancient sources found in a bibliography at the end of the book.

Readers whose interest focuses upon the Ancient Near East will find that Grant focuses primarily upon the Greco-Roman world. Grant sets a timeframe which usually begins with the first millennium BCE.

And though there are articles on Elephantine, Syria, and Babylon, there are no articles on Sumer, Mari, Israel, and only a handful on any site whose name begins with Tel. Also the short two/thirds page article on Egypt is under Aegyptus.

It's a valuable dictionary. However if one's interest focused upon the Greco-Roman world, one would find Michael Grant's _Guide to the Ancient World_ even more valuable than I did.

Michael Grant proved himself many times over to be a master of the ancient Mediterranean world. The depth of his knowledge was astounding. This guide, like many of his others, offers scholars and laymen alike a comprehensive guide to the ancient Mediterranean world: cities, towns, rivers, countries, mountains, etc. But us goes beyond simple data listings. It is replete with insights into their origins and surrounding history and events, people associated with, the later impact of, and myths and legends of each and place in the book.

Thank goodness Michael Grant was so very prolific and loved to share his immense knowledge with the world. We owe him a substantial debt.

As a New Englander, I need what sunshine I can get and this book has it with its marvelous range of the Gulf's Cuban/Italian/Creole/Mexican/Vietnamese flavors. I particularly love that the recipes are adaptable to what I can find here, and the beautiful photos are a plus (and an inspiration) as well.

I love to read cookbooks as well as use them. Gulf Coast Kitchens is engaging and fun to read. It is well researched with lots of interesting vignettes. The writing is colorful and lively. The recipes are a good mix of down-home and exotic dishes.

Easy fixings are a priority for me. Gulf Costs Kitchen's simple instructions with tips for advance preparation makes each recipe a dream.

I have already given several books as gifts. If you try it, you will love it, too!

This beautifully organized book provides an easy-to-follow guide for establishing butterfly, bird, and insect habitats in your own garden. Host plants, nectar plants, and food sources (both native and non-native) including annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and vines are listed for both butterflies and birds. Maintenance of the habitat garden is detailed with specific suggestions. Additional sections explain the importance of encouraging beneficial insects, the beauty and role of ponds in the garden, and special advice on "how to" start your own habitat garden. Color photographs provide a visual guide while spot illustrations and quotations provide inspiration and encouragement. A "must" for any Bay Area gardener.

This is a beautiful little book, a real jewel that makes providing a pleasing habitat for both our wild friends and ourselves an easy task. It certainly inspired me to add more habitat plants to my garden, and I reap the benefits daily. I especially loved how she put the plant photos on the outside page edges so I can flip through and relocate the information I want quickly. This book should also be useful for many people outside the SF Bay Area. Providing wildlife habitat is so important now.

Patrick Dearen, author of several works on West Texas themes, relied upon archival holdings, county records, interviews, period journals, and family accounts to piece together this story of a fascinating character who became a builder of Texas. The author has written an admiring account of a Texan who as a family man, business entrepreneur, cattle rancher, and all-around solid citizen, left an indelible impression upon his adopted state. May his tribe increase! -- WEST TEXAS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION YEARBOOK, 2002.

Mayer Halff's name may be unfamiliar to anyone unacquainted with Texas history or the range cattle industry, but he was one of the most important cattlemen in American history. . . . Every year he sent thousands of head of cattle to market. Dearen describes the vicissitudes of the business, especially in the uncertainty of the Pecos River region, where prolonged drouth ruined many a rancher and killed thousands of cattle. . . . The reader will learn a great deal here how the cattle business operated in the late 19th century and how well Halff did in it. . . . Halff had a vision of what he wanted to accomplish, and by the time of his death in 1905 he had accomplished it. Dearen does a fine job of sharing Halff's vision with the reader. -- WESTERN STATES JEWISH HISTORY.

This wonderful biography of Mayer Halff who immigrated to Texas at the age of fourteen from Lauterbourg, France in about 1850, should be read by everyone who likes the history of early Texas and of the Old West. Mayer Halff was a pioneer Jewish merchant first in Liberty, Texas, and later in San Antonio. But his most interesting role was that of being one of the first men to develop the cattle industry and ranching in Texas. Those scenes we have all seen so often in movies and television of the cattle drives and cowboys were the result of men like Mayer Halff. In 1861 Halff led one of the early cattle drives from Liberty to Lyon's Point, fifty miles from New Iberia, Louisiana. Later he participated in and helped develop the large cattle drives up to Dodge City, Kansas, and other places, in the 1870s and the years that followed. Eventually, Halff owned or leased several ranches including the huge Quien Sabe Ranch which would encompass five to six hundred square miles across Midland and Glasscock counties. During this period Halff's Quien Sabe would maintain 10,000 to 12,000 cattle. All in all a great story of an important man in early Texas.

For me the highlight of this book is the extract from Shackleton's diary describing the 'furthest south' journey in which Shackleton reached just 97 miles from the pole before being forced to turn back. This turned into an epic struggle for survival (unlike Scott 3 years later, they won) which is splendidly recounted with diary extracts. The rest of the book describes the first ascents of Mount Erebus and the first journey to the south magnetic pole as well as the rest of the expedition. Although it is well to bear in mind that nearly all of these period books were written in a style that shows only the positive side of the expeditions I find them more enjoyable to read than some of the more critical modern descriptions.

Not nearly as well known as the Endurance expedition a few years later I actually found this book more interesting and whole heartedly recommend it.

The epic story of the Endurance expedition has overshadowed Shackleton's earlier Nimrod expedition, during which he and three comrades trekked to within 100 miles of the South Pole and other members of his expedition were the first to climb Mount Erebus and locate the South Magnetic Pole. This is a well-written account and gives a complete overview not only of the expedition but also of Shackleton's careful preparations. Read "South" by all means, but read this book by Shackleton too; it's excellent.

Madeline Dumphy aided by the illustrations of Alan James Robinson deftly presents the quiet and austere beauty found in the frigid arctic in her book Here Is the Arctic Winter. Young children will be mesmerized by the various animals to be found in the arctic.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to present values to children at a very young age. Among the values which should be introduced is the positive view of nature and beauty. Any book that helps children understand and appreciate the beauty of nature should be praised and certainly Here Is the Arctic Winter is among those.

The prose is told as a cumulative story with each page adding another line to the verse. Those familiar with some basic principles of reading instruction will recognize the value of this kind of tale. An added bonus to this is children learn such names of animals as caribou, narwhal and ptarmigan.

The prose expresses the quiet beauty of the arctic during its long snow covered night. We can well imagine the howl of the wolf breaking the silence.

"Here are the wolves
who howl at the sky
that is dark day and night,
where the sun does not rise
in this cold world of white:
Here is the Arctic winter"

Robinson's illustrations are gorgeous and skillfully match the prose provided by Madeline Dumphy. I love the image of the polar bear walking through the fields of snow and ice. Parents will enjoy pointing out the various animals seen on the pages of this book.

I gladly recommend this book as a gift to a child as a way of encouraging an appreciation and love of nature.

I would very highly recommend Here is the Arctic Winter for kids up to 8-9 years old. Her haunting, cyclical verse and the beautiful illustrations create a tale my children demand to hear over and over. Actually, all of the books in Ms. Dunphy's "Here Is..." series are excellent --check them out!